Chapter 23: A New Beginning

Evening time.

“You said you went to see the house today? How was it?”

Dad asked about the house he saw today as he came out of the shower, towel drying his hair.

“It was better than I expected. There are two rooms on the first floor and an attic, and I thought I could use the attic. Plus, there’s a small yard where we could make a little vegetable garden and grow lettuce, chili peppers, and tomatoes. There’s also an outdoor faucet, so washing the car seems possible too.”

Mom and Dad had always wanted a house where they could have a small garden.

We once brought soil from the mountain and made a small garden on the rooftop, growing lettuce and chili peppers to put on the dining table. We shared some with the neighbors and sometimes gathered on the rooftop with the building residents to grill samgyeopsal.

That kind of culture faded away after the 2000s, but the memories are still vivid in my mind.

“Hmm.”

A look of hesitation appeared on Dad’s face.

“Dad, you should come with Mom after work and see it for yourself. I’m sure you’ll really like it.”

Personally, I prefer a house in an open space over a cramped apartment. There are so many rules to follow inside apartments, and parking disputes happen frequently.

Though, we currently have a private parking space and there’s a free public parking lot nearby provided by the city, so parking wouldn’t be an issue.

More than anything, the yard and the fresh scent of grass make me not think of any other house.

What our family needs isn’t a suffocating space, but a place to soothe our hearts.

“It’s best to see it in person. I’ll come with your mom after work tomorrow and decide.”

Since it involves a large sum of money, it makes sense to be cautious when choosing a house.

But I trust Dad’s judgment and perspective.

Why?

Because I’m their son, carrying their blood.

I’m confident they’ll like it.

“Oppa, so I’m going to have my own room too?”

Dahye, who had been quietly listening beside me, whispered softly into my ear.

There was a lot of hope in her voice.

“Yeah, when we move, you’ll have a really spacious room.”

The small room on the first floor was almost as big as the master bedroom. Even with the biggest king-sized bed and desk, there was enough space to sit and hang out with friends.

One of the things my sister wanted in her past life.

“Yeah, you’re going to have your own room. A warm, cool, very spacious room.”

I gently stroked Dahye’s head and whispered softly.

“Really?”

Dahye’s eyes opened wide.

She expected it but didn’t seem to hope for too much.

“Yeah.”
“Wow!”
“Nice, right?”
“Yeah!”
“Keep it clean. But don’t stay in your room too much. Keep the promises you made with Oppa.”
“Okay!”

Dahye nodded her head vigorously, looking very cute.

‘Dahye, I’ll make sure you never lose that smile.’

Her smiling face is the reason and goal for me to keep living.

Because Dahye smiles, I can keep moving forward.

Yay!!

My sister clenched her tiny fists and cheered.

Can she be that happy over this?

Better things are going to come, so if she’s only happy about this, that won’t do.

I smiled quietly and began planning the future.

Inside Class 7 of Grade 3.

“Are you moving?”

As the first period began, Yua asked with a worried expression.

“Yeah, I decided to move. Did I tell you?”

I didn’t know how she found out, but she nodded obediently. There was no reason to hide it.

“No, it’s just... Daesik saw you looking at the house with the real estate lady.”
“Daesik?”

I turned my head to look at Daesik’s seat.

Daesik was calmly reading a novel with his head down.

What a strange kid.

His behavior in class is terrible, but his grades are excellent.

“Really? Then we can’t go to the academy together anymore?”

Worry filled Yua’s face.

When did we get close enough to be like this?

It’s surprising.

In my past life, we barely spoke—just classmates who knew each other by face.

Now we share everything as friends.

People can change in unexpected ways.

“Hmm, no. It’s just that the house is a little farther, but it’s less than five minutes on foot from your place.”
“Where are you moving to?”

Was she always this curious?

“The house near the community center with a yard, you know?”
“Oh, that place. You’re going there?”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
“Wow. That place is awesome!”

Yua’s mouth dropped open.

Compared to the yard house I saw in my past life, it’s not that great, but for now, it’s pretty good.

No one from truly wealthy families goes to this middle school.

The richest kids here only have a single house, and even that is rare.

The neighborhood itself isn’t wealthy.

So her reaction was natural.

“When you move, come visit.”
“Can I?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.”

I felt the pure emotions of middle schoolers.

It’d be great if that innocence lasted into adulthood, though that’s unlikely.

Still, I hope this innocence lasts as long as possible.

Yua smiled brightly and fixed her eyes on the blackboard, focusing on the lesson.

A few days later, my parents finally signed the contract and decided to move.

And today, we’re leaving the house where we’d lived since third grade of elementary school and moving to our new home.

We didn’t have much to move.

Most of the old furniture was left outside, and we packed only the essentials.

“It feels strange.”

From the time we stayed near Bukhansanseong, moved around Seoul Siheung, to settling down in Ansan for five years.

There were more bad memories than good ones here, so thinking about leaving brought a lump to my throat.

The house was empty.

Mold had spread on the walls where water leaked in places. I used to hate seeing it, but now I stared blankly at it for a while, feeling oddly attached.

Even though it’s been a long time since my return, the feeling was strange.

Thinking about leaving made me restless.

“Goodbye.”

I said farewell to the house softly.

“Seunghyun, what are you doing here? It’s time to go.”

Just as I was about to tear my gaze away from the house I’d grown attached to, Mom’s voice came.

Maybe I was holding on too long.

“Okay, I’m coming.”

I finished my farewell and turned to head downstairs.

“It feels weird, right?”

Dad’s voice sounded.

“A little.”

Then Mom spoke.

“Now let’s live even harder. Parents can’t be pushed aside by their children.”
“Right, that can’t happen. I’ll really work hard.”

As their conversation began to wind down,

“Mom, Dad. Let’s go now.”

I slipped between them and got into the car.

Dahye was already sitting inside.

“Dahye, from now on, you have to wear this to cover your eyes.”

I handed an eye mask to Dahye as I got into the car.

“Why?”

Dahye looked at me with wide eyes, confused.

“There’s a reason. Hurry up.”

I couldn’t explain.

It had to be a secret.

“What if I don’t want to?”
“You can’t get in.”

I gave a playful smile to my sister.

“There’s no such thing!”

She shouted.

“There is, right here.”

Dahye protested and shook her head, but it didn’t work on me.

I had prepared for today, so I was determined to keep her eyes covered.

“Dahye, please. I’m asking nicely.”

Mom, who got in late, caught on to what I was doing and smiled faintly.

“Alright, wear it. But if you prank, I’ll really get upset.”

And she’d get over it in 10 minutes.

“Have you ever seen Oppa prank like this?”

She shook her head.

“See? Trust me.”

My sister hates the dark.

I want to tell her the darkness is welcomed for a new morning.

That inside it, there is hope and joy.

“Okay.”

Dahye spoke softly and closed her eyes.

I covered her eyes with the mask I prepared.

“Oppa, I can’t see. Hold my hand.”

She fumbled in the air and grasped my hand tightly.

I held her hand firmly.

Before we knew it, the car arrived at the new house.

“Dahye, we’re here. Let’s slowly go inside.”

One by one, I held Dahye’s hand and matched her pace as we stepped toward the house.

I looked forward to her reaction when I took off the blindfold.

We took off our shoes and moved into the room.

Mom and Dad had already gone in and were watching us with satisfied smiles.

“Oppa, not yet? I’m scared.”
“Almost there. Okay, I’ll take it off.”

One, two, three!

I removed the cloth.

“Wow......”

Dahye’s mouth dropped open at the sight before her eyes.

Watching TV, she had envied princess-like rooms.

The room was decorated beautifully in white and pink with a vanity, a lovely bed, a wardrobe, and a piano—all for Dahye.

We arranged everything she had wanted. It cost quite a bit, but money is meant to be spent meaningfully.

I smiled seeing Dahye’s surprised expression.

“Dahye, do you like it?”
“sob Oppa, is this a dream?”

Her mouth, which wouldn’t close, slowly closed, and she lowered her head, tears falling.

“This is something Oppa prepared for you, our daughter. You’re lucky to have a good brother. You should thank him.”

Mom approached seeing Dahye’s reaction and spoke.

“Oppa... thank you.”

The trembling voice of my sister brought a deep smile to my face.

‘I probably gave up on her. Always envying others every day.’

Dahye is a thoughtful and affectionate sister. Even though she sometimes pouted to Mom as a child, she always carried a sense of guilt inside.

I kneeled down to meet Dahye’s eye level.

“Dahye?”
“......”

She looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

I wiped her moist eyes with my hand and smiled.

“From now on, if there’s anything you want or want to do, just tell Oppa anytime.”

Oppa will make it happen.

“Okay.”
“And let’s make one promise.”

I reached out my hand and hooked my pinky finger.

“What?”
“Don’t envy anyone anymore.”
“That’s all?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Okay.”
“Promise.”
“Promise.”

Dahye repeated after me, hooking her pinky with mine.

We pressed our thumbs and shook.

We looked at each other and smiled brightly.

“Hey, if you cry and then smile, you’ll grow hair on your butt.”

On an autumn day when the leaves turned crimson, a warm spring flower bloomed in our house, signaling a new beginning.

After checking out Dahye’s room, we looked around Mom and Dad’s rooms and moved to the attic.

The second floor height was about 180cm, so you had to bow your head to pass.

“I’ll fill my room little by little.”

Bed, bookshelf, hanger, desk, computer—that’s all.

I wasn’t really interested in clothes, so this was enough.

Huh?!

Then my eyes stopped on the desk.

There was an unfamiliar item.

“That’s......”

Next to the old, worn-out computer I had been using, there was a new computer.

“Pentium III......”

I checked the model name.

It was a recently released first-generation 250mm Katmai Pentium III.

“A note?”

There was a note under the computer.

I unfolded it and read the contents.

[I should have replaced this sooner.

Finally doing it now. Sorry.

Don’t overdo it. Thank you for growing up so well.

Mom and Dad]

I prepared it for my sister.

My parents prepared it for me.

A gift.

“Sigh, it makes me want to cry.”

Thank you, Mom and Dad.

In the sentimental spring of 1999, I will never forget this moment.

I gazed out the window, engraving this feeling in my mind.

A cool breeze blew through the open window.

It felt good.